Feb 27, 2009
Birth of the Cool
I'm super excited about a new exhibit at the Blanton Museum that opened last week, Birth of the Cool. I can't wait to go see it. Roger and I are planning to go to B Scene next Friday night to check it out. B Scene is like an art party held the first Friday of every month. And in collaboration with the exhibit the Elephant Room is hosting a music series highlighting music from the time period of the exhibit, midcentury modernism. This Saturday night we will be at the Elephant Room after 9:30 p.m. listening to the Jeff Lofton Quintet. So join us tomorrow night or next Friday night at B Scene. It will be super cool!
Dining Table Resolution
We got a call from the manager of the store yesterday. The factory where the table is made somewhere in northeast America is going to make a third leaf for our table. In order for it to be able to fit our table for sure, they are going to make a whole new top with three leaves then send it to the San Antonio warehouse. When the guys from San Antonio deliver it, they will take off our old top from the legs and reassemble the table with the new top plus all three leaves. Turns out the factory makes third leaves all the time. And of course none of this will cost us anything. Which I expected because they are a very reputable store. So looks like our dining table dilemma is resolved for now. When the actual table top arrives, I'll let you know how it turns out.
Feb 22, 2009
First Dinner Party
We hosted our first dinner party at the new house Friday night. It was a lot of fun. We had a great time. I think it was a success. And judging by the empty pitcher of Mexican Martinis and the recycle bin full of beer bottles, I think our guests had a great time also. We had Roger's family over for dinner. It was an assortment of special occasions. We celebrated Roger and his sister Mirna's birthdays. Roger's was February 13th and Mirna's is March 3rd. It was a mini-reunion as Roger's god mother Martha from Puerto Rico who has lived in Oregon for at least thirty years now was visiting. And our family friend Larry who hadn't seen Martha from when everyone lived in Puerto Rico also came. It was also the first time for Roger's mom Laura, sister Cindy, brother-in-law Joey, nieces Ariana and Cyrene and our dear friend Denise, who is like a sister, to see our new house. So there were many things to celebrate. Roger's dad made his famous tacos which were delicious. I wish I would have eaten at least three more. They are so good. As you can see by the pictures, we had a lot of fun and laughter. And it was great practice for having dinners and parties at our new house.
We did have a dining table dilemma which of course did not affect our fun. But it was a little disappointing for Roger and me. We ordered a custom dining table last Thanksgiving. We were told by the designer and their brochures that with a second leaf added it would seat ten people. We were so excited to be able to seat ten. At our last house, and even our apartment in DC, we could only seat four properly. Of course we would pull out every chair we owned to fit more, but it's not the same as being able to seat ten properly. I was really excited about the new table. It was supposed to take 30 to 60 days to be made and delivered. Sixty days past and I called the store and everything was in except one side chair. At first I was like, well it can wait until the one last chair comes in since I figured it would be maybe another week. I called back a week later and it still was not in the warehouse. The dinner party was a week away and I asked them if they could deliver what they had and they did. We would only have nine chairs, but there were only nine adults coming to the dinner so it would be fine. The little girls would not sit around the table long anyway. And I thought maybe the last chair will come in before the dinner and if it didn't it would be fine. Then we found out another person was added to make it ten adults even. We knew it would all work out. We've pulled chairs from other rooms before. No problem. So Friday afternoon I was getting ready for the dinner and I separated the table to add the second leaf. I went to the second bedroom to get the spare chair and put it under the table and it wouldn't fit. There was no way that chair was going in under the table. Talk about not happy.
I went from disbelief to unhappiness to disappointment. And for me, it's worse for me to be disappointed with you than mad at you. I felt betrayed and lied to by the designer. I felt like maybe she told us that just to sell us the extra leaf and two extra side chairs. Then I was very disappointed with the store. But I always had the knowledge in my mind the store would take care of this. Their service in our past experiences with them have always exceeded our expectations. So I knew I had to talk with them, but of course decided I would wait until the next day to do so. No reason to take it out on them especially since the designer we worked with was no longer employed at the store. Roger and I went yesterday and spoke with the store manager. She was well aware of our delayed pieces. We also ordered a chair and ottoman for Roger and the designer told us 30-60 days but leather pieces take 90 days. So either we were misinformed which would have been easy to do since our order was so large or through the whole process we got it confused and lumped it all together time wise. We explained the new dilemma. And of course she was very apologetic and sincere. We talked about our options, returning the two extra chairs and only seating eight or maybe getting a third leaf which she offered to pay for so we could still seat ten. We had already spread the table out at the house to see if a third leaf would fit and it would. She attempted to call her district manager to see if she had any advice since they had never put a third leaf in their tables and none of us were sure it would be structurally sound. They don't even offer a third leaf in these tables because for that length you would normally add another set of legs for support. But her manager was in interviews and she spoke with someone else there who had the idea of us trying the leaf from the floor model in our table to see if it would work.
So we took it home and tried it. It almost fit. All the pegs lined up all around and it slid in fine all around except one corner. There was a piece of the leaf that hit a piece of the table which prevented us from sliding it in. Since they make the whole table and any leaves at the same time, your leaf might not fit into another table. So we went back and explained all this. The whole store of designers got in on the problem while we were gone. They found the brochures that say with a second leaf it seats ten so we're sure that's where the designer got that from but they all agreed there's no way ten chairs could fit in there. And none of the other designers had ever sold it as that. Of course, our designer wasn't there any more. Although we could order another leaf, there might be a chance it doesn't fit. And there's no way the finish is going to match our table exactly because they make each table complete with leaves individually by hand. No table will ever match another table. So the store manager is going to call her manager to explain the whole situation and see what solutions they can come up with for us. She also mentioned speaking with their corporate office about the misleading brochures. I know they will take care of us. It is disappointing but there are a lot worse things in life. This is really nothing and it will get taken care of. I would still recommend this store in a heart beat. And I know I will order furniture from them again. I've got their catalog open right now to see if they have an end table like I want. So as the young folks used to say, it's all good.
We did have a dining table dilemma which of course did not affect our fun. But it was a little disappointing for Roger and me. We ordered a custom dining table last Thanksgiving. We were told by the designer and their brochures that with a second leaf added it would seat ten people. We were so excited to be able to seat ten. At our last house, and even our apartment in DC, we could only seat four properly. Of course we would pull out every chair we owned to fit more, but it's not the same as being able to seat ten properly. I was really excited about the new table. It was supposed to take 30 to 60 days to be made and delivered. Sixty days past and I called the store and everything was in except one side chair. At first I was like, well it can wait until the one last chair comes in since I figured it would be maybe another week. I called back a week later and it still was not in the warehouse. The dinner party was a week away and I asked them if they could deliver what they had and they did. We would only have nine chairs, but there were only nine adults coming to the dinner so it would be fine. The little girls would not sit around the table long anyway. And I thought maybe the last chair will come in before the dinner and if it didn't it would be fine. Then we found out another person was added to make it ten adults even. We knew it would all work out. We've pulled chairs from other rooms before. No problem. So Friday afternoon I was getting ready for the dinner and I separated the table to add the second leaf. I went to the second bedroom to get the spare chair and put it under the table and it wouldn't fit. There was no way that chair was going in under the table. Talk about not happy.
I went from disbelief to unhappiness to disappointment. And for me, it's worse for me to be disappointed with you than mad at you. I felt betrayed and lied to by the designer. I felt like maybe she told us that just to sell us the extra leaf and two extra side chairs. Then I was very disappointed with the store. But I always had the knowledge in my mind the store would take care of this. Their service in our past experiences with them have always exceeded our expectations. So I knew I had to talk with them, but of course decided I would wait until the next day to do so. No reason to take it out on them especially since the designer we worked with was no longer employed at the store. Roger and I went yesterday and spoke with the store manager. She was well aware of our delayed pieces. We also ordered a chair and ottoman for Roger and the designer told us 30-60 days but leather pieces take 90 days. So either we were misinformed which would have been easy to do since our order was so large or through the whole process we got it confused and lumped it all together time wise. We explained the new dilemma. And of course she was very apologetic and sincere. We talked about our options, returning the two extra chairs and only seating eight or maybe getting a third leaf which she offered to pay for so we could still seat ten. We had already spread the table out at the house to see if a third leaf would fit and it would. She attempted to call her district manager to see if she had any advice since they had never put a third leaf in their tables and none of us were sure it would be structurally sound. They don't even offer a third leaf in these tables because for that length you would normally add another set of legs for support. But her manager was in interviews and she spoke with someone else there who had the idea of us trying the leaf from the floor model in our table to see if it would work.
So we took it home and tried it. It almost fit. All the pegs lined up all around and it slid in fine all around except one corner. There was a piece of the leaf that hit a piece of the table which prevented us from sliding it in. Since they make the whole table and any leaves at the same time, your leaf might not fit into another table. So we went back and explained all this. The whole store of designers got in on the problem while we were gone. They found the brochures that say with a second leaf it seats ten so we're sure that's where the designer got that from but they all agreed there's no way ten chairs could fit in there. And none of the other designers had ever sold it as that. Of course, our designer wasn't there any more. Although we could order another leaf, there might be a chance it doesn't fit. And there's no way the finish is going to match our table exactly because they make each table complete with leaves individually by hand. No table will ever match another table. So the store manager is going to call her manager to explain the whole situation and see what solutions they can come up with for us. She also mentioned speaking with their corporate office about the misleading brochures. I know they will take care of us. It is disappointing but there are a lot worse things in life. This is really nothing and it will get taken care of. I would still recommend this store in a heart beat. And I know I will order furniture from them again. I've got their catalog open right now to see if they have an end table like I want. So as the young folks used to say, it's all good.
Feb 13, 2009
Feb 12, 2009
A Couple New House Firsts
We got our first electricity bill this week. And it is cause for concern. We had to switch from City of Austin to Pedernales (pronounced here as Perdenales) Electric Cooperative for electricity with this move. Although the City of Austin services us for everything else still, water, wastewater, solid waste and recycling. So we closed on January 23rd and had the electricity turned on that same day. Our first bill was from January 23rd to February 4th, thirteen days. And it was $49.32! For thirteen days?! That's what we paid for one month of electricity with the City of Austin. Scary! Even though I almost never turn on lights during the day, we turn off lights when we leave rooms and we don't keep unnecessary lights on, we have been even more diligent with lights and anything else that uses electricity. And Roger has ordered dimmers for a bunch of lights and fixtures so we have the option of dimming a light, which uses less electricity, instead of just off or on. I'm scared to see a whole month's bill.
We also experienced our first storm in the new house. Tuesday night that crazy storm that was going across the Midwest causing all those tornadoes in Oklahoma came across Texas as well. It was a pretty bad storm up there, but down here it was not as bad. I'm sure some places got hit worse than we did. But what was weird was how we experienced it. In our old house, we would have heard and felt everything. We would have been able to hear and feel the wind and the rain. If we didn't have the blinds in the windows open we would not have known there was a storm. We couldn't hear anything, wind or rain, until the hail started hitting the front of the house since the wild wind was blowing everything side ways. We could see the rain being blown sideways down the street, but we couldn't hear or feel anything. I know, that's good. Let's us know our house is pretty solid. It was just weird, that's all. We watched the local cable provider weather channel as it skirted across Interstate 35. And of course, it only lasted here about five to ten minutes. If you have ever heard that saying, "Don't like the weather in Texas just wait five minutes", it's true.
We also experienced our first storm in the new house. Tuesday night that crazy storm that was going across the Midwest causing all those tornadoes in Oklahoma came across Texas as well. It was a pretty bad storm up there, but down here it was not as bad. I'm sure some places got hit worse than we did. But what was weird was how we experienced it. In our old house, we would have heard and felt everything. We would have been able to hear and feel the wind and the rain. If we didn't have the blinds in the windows open we would not have known there was a storm. We couldn't hear anything, wind or rain, until the hail started hitting the front of the house since the wild wind was blowing everything side ways. We could see the rain being blown sideways down the street, but we couldn't hear or feel anything. I know, that's good. Let's us know our house is pretty solid. It was just weird, that's all. We watched the local cable provider weather channel as it skirted across Interstate 35. And of course, it only lasted here about five to ten minutes. If you have ever heard that saying, "Don't like the weather in Texas just wait five minutes", it's true.
Feb 10, 2009
Hectic Beginnings
Sorry I haven't posted a legitimate post in a while. Things have been a little hectic around here. Not that we thought it wouldn't be but when life gets hectic sometimes you are surprised. I have no idea why? I think every one's lives are hectic these days. Of course because we make them hectic. That's a whole 'nother story. Anyway, I'll try to cover why things have been hectic in as short a post as possible. Yeah, I know, you are all laughing out loud from that.
Okay, so Roger had to work the first weekend we moved into the new house. Monthly server maintenance is usually on the last Friday night of every month. Then he had to work this past weekend also because his company was finally merging networks/systems with the company that bought them last year. Or it was something like that. I'm sure I'm getting it wrong, but that's basically what they did. And he has been working late a lot lately because he was off those two days of packing and moving and it's a busy time for his company. So he hasn't been able to spend as much time doing stuff around the house as he would like and he's feeling a little disconnected to the new house. Hopefully things will slow down enough for him to spend more time at home and do some things around the house so he feels "home". Nothing makes you feel more at home than honey do lists and yard maintenance.
During that week, we also hosted our first guests. Yes, we hosted a friend the first weekend we moved in the new house. But it was easy. Now that we have a dedicated guest bedroom, we don't have to do anything for guests. So you know what this means, come visit us! We hosted our friend Kyla from Nashville for a few days. She was in Texas for her brother's graduation from Air Force basic training in San Antonio and used it as an excuse to catch up with friends that moved to Austin. Then my mom came to visit this past weekend. She helped me make 10 reversible place mats Friday night for our new dining table that was delivered Friday. She was given boxes and boxes of material from a friend so the place mats didn't cost me anything except I had to buy fusible interfacing to give the place mats a crisp shape and so they hold up after multiple washings. We started out sewing in the second bedroom while Roger slept to get ready to go to work Friday night. The second bedroom is still a catch all room right now, but will change once I get everything out of it and get a sewing/craft table. Once he left we moved into the living room and kitchen so we could get our Friday night HGTV shows in while we worked. We are still missing one chair and Roger's living room chair and ottoman. They will be delivered as soon as they come in as I will be calling them every Friday to ensure they don't arrive in the warehouse and sit there forever.
We also had a few friends over for Super Bowl. For a while it seemed like we weren't going to have anyone over for Super Bowl which would have been a first in a long time for us. But at the last minute some friends asked us what our plans were and we told them to come on over. The house layout was perfect for the Super Bowl. We had food spread out all over the island. It is nice to have so many electrical outlets around the island. Makes it easy to plug in crock pots of yummy queso. Everyone sat around the island and in the living room. There wasn't a bad seat in the house. This is the main reason we picked this floor plan. It's exactly how we live and entertain.
I'm still doing lots of little things around the house to make it more of a home. Last week we got the office set up and even put together a bookcase, chair and ottoman from IKEA in the office. Last week was also filled with lots of little things and pretty much all the unpacking was completed. We had some contractors come out to give us a few more estimates for a deck and pergola. Hopefully that will be done soon after we get approval from the home owner's association. This week I will hang pictures, paintings, drapery rods and drapes, shelves, and all those other things that make a house a home. I also have at least one new painting in my plans for the dining room. I can't wait to get started on it. I plan out every step of my paintings, which techniques I will use, what order, etc. Layering is key in painting so I have to plan them out to completion so I don't get things out of order and can't do what I planned. And I have decided to use one technique I haven't used in years on part of the painting in one layer. That technique is crackling. I have seen some paintings recently around town that have inspired me to pull the crackle medium out of my tub of painting supplies. Of course, before I start I'll have to make sure it isn't dried up.
I had to do that recently with my mod podge for a craft I was doing for my dining table center piece. And thank goodness my mod podge was still usable. I'm all about buying as little as possible for, well, everything. I was still researching the center piece for the dining table because I wanted to get the scale right. In my runnings as my mom would say, I knew something would jump out at me either for inspiration or as the actual piece. She and I stopped by a consignment store, Goodbye Hello, on Manchaca Road in our runnings this weekend and found the perfect piece. It's a "boat" of sorts and I thought it would look cool with some big, white decorative spheres in them. I'm not usually a decorative sphere kind of gal but it was just perfect. I searched a few stores and online and I was not about to pay $8 a ball. So I went to Hobby Lobby with coupons in hand and bought all the supplies I needed to cover and decorate styrofoam spheres. I was able to make them for around $3.50 each. I felt so satisfied knowing I saved $4.50 a ball. I'm still working on two, one covered with white yarn and another I will decoupage with white paper.
I know this turned out to be longer than I wanted. But that's what happens when you don't post for a long time. I will try to post more frequently. Hope everyone is doing well. Love you all!
Okay, so Roger had to work the first weekend we moved into the new house. Monthly server maintenance is usually on the last Friday night of every month. Then he had to work this past weekend also because his company was finally merging networks/systems with the company that bought them last year. Or it was something like that. I'm sure I'm getting it wrong, but that's basically what they did. And he has been working late a lot lately because he was off those two days of packing and moving and it's a busy time for his company. So he hasn't been able to spend as much time doing stuff around the house as he would like and he's feeling a little disconnected to the new house. Hopefully things will slow down enough for him to spend more time at home and do some things around the house so he feels "home". Nothing makes you feel more at home than honey do lists and yard maintenance.
During that week, we also hosted our first guests. Yes, we hosted a friend the first weekend we moved in the new house. But it was easy. Now that we have a dedicated guest bedroom, we don't have to do anything for guests. So you know what this means, come visit us! We hosted our friend Kyla from Nashville for a few days. She was in Texas for her brother's graduation from Air Force basic training in San Antonio and used it as an excuse to catch up with friends that moved to Austin. Then my mom came to visit this past weekend. She helped me make 10 reversible place mats Friday night for our new dining table that was delivered Friday. She was given boxes and boxes of material from a friend so the place mats didn't cost me anything except I had to buy fusible interfacing to give the place mats a crisp shape and so they hold up after multiple washings. We started out sewing in the second bedroom while Roger slept to get ready to go to work Friday night. The second bedroom is still a catch all room right now, but will change once I get everything out of it and get a sewing/craft table. Once he left we moved into the living room and kitchen so we could get our Friday night HGTV shows in while we worked. We are still missing one chair and Roger's living room chair and ottoman. They will be delivered as soon as they come in as I will be calling them every Friday to ensure they don't arrive in the warehouse and sit there forever.
We also had a few friends over for Super Bowl. For a while it seemed like we weren't going to have anyone over for Super Bowl which would have been a first in a long time for us. But at the last minute some friends asked us what our plans were and we told them to come on over. The house layout was perfect for the Super Bowl. We had food spread out all over the island. It is nice to have so many electrical outlets around the island. Makes it easy to plug in crock pots of yummy queso. Everyone sat around the island and in the living room. There wasn't a bad seat in the house. This is the main reason we picked this floor plan. It's exactly how we live and entertain.
I'm still doing lots of little things around the house to make it more of a home. Last week we got the office set up and even put together a bookcase, chair and ottoman from IKEA in the office. Last week was also filled with lots of little things and pretty much all the unpacking was completed. We had some contractors come out to give us a few more estimates for a deck and pergola. Hopefully that will be done soon after we get approval from the home owner's association. This week I will hang pictures, paintings, drapery rods and drapes, shelves, and all those other things that make a house a home. I also have at least one new painting in my plans for the dining room. I can't wait to get started on it. I plan out every step of my paintings, which techniques I will use, what order, etc. Layering is key in painting so I have to plan them out to completion so I don't get things out of order and can't do what I planned. And I have decided to use one technique I haven't used in years on part of the painting in one layer. That technique is crackling. I have seen some paintings recently around town that have inspired me to pull the crackle medium out of my tub of painting supplies. Of course, before I start I'll have to make sure it isn't dried up.
I had to do that recently with my mod podge for a craft I was doing for my dining table center piece. And thank goodness my mod podge was still usable. I'm all about buying as little as possible for, well, everything. I was still researching the center piece for the dining table because I wanted to get the scale right. In my runnings as my mom would say, I knew something would jump out at me either for inspiration or as the actual piece. She and I stopped by a consignment store, Goodbye Hello, on Manchaca Road in our runnings this weekend and found the perfect piece. It's a "boat" of sorts and I thought it would look cool with some big, white decorative spheres in them. I'm not usually a decorative sphere kind of gal but it was just perfect. I searched a few stores and online and I was not about to pay $8 a ball. So I went to Hobby Lobby with coupons in hand and bought all the supplies I needed to cover and decorate styrofoam spheres. I was able to make them for around $3.50 each. I felt so satisfied knowing I saved $4.50 a ball. I'm still working on two, one covered with white yarn and another I will decoupage with white paper.
I know this turned out to be longer than I wanted. But that's what happens when you don't post for a long time. I will try to post more frequently. Hope everyone is doing well. Love you all!
Feb 4, 2009
Photos!
Sorry, I haven't posted photos since before we moved. I was waiting for the desktop computer to be set up because I didn't know I could upload my pictures to Roger's laptop. I know, I should have asked him. But better late than never, right?! So here are pictures from the night of packing through today. I will get captions up as soon as possible. Hope you enjoy!
Jan 28, 2009
We’re Home
Its so nice to say that. We’re home. For good. It’s unbelievable and amazing. We spent our first night in the new house last night. We both slept so well and never woke up once. It might be because we're so exhausted. Our bodies are aching! And poor Roger has to go back to work today. I will be unpacking forever it seems. The packers packed boxes with lots of paper and the wardrobes only half full so we have tons of boxes everywhere. And although the movers were great, they could not help us unpack because all they do is take it out of the box and set it on the floors and counters. I felt like that wouldn’t really help me and it would be better to keep stuff in boxes and unpack as I go. I think stuff all over would overwhelm me. So our garage is full and we’re amassing large stacks of boxes and packing paper. I am so grateful for both the packers and movers. I’m heading back to the old house today to clean a little and take some furniture to a consignment store. Plus get some groceries! And I’ll be unpacking all day, every day.
It was interesting trying to decide what we should unpack first last night. Some people want kitchen done so they can cook soon, some think clothes should be first. We decided to unpack the clothes so we could get the wardrobes out of the way and Roger would have clothes for work today and late last night and this morning we figured out we probably should have unpacked bathroom stuff so we can take showers and get ready this morning. But thank goodness we packed an overnight bag for our last night at the old house. So we have just enough until I find the bathroom boxes and get them unpacked today. When you have someone else pack your stuff you have no idea what they put in each box or how they labeled it. One of the packer’s first language was not English so what she called rooms and items are not what we know them as so boxes were put in some rooms which actually should be in a different rooms. But we’ll get through it all. Remember my full time job is to unpack us. We are super happy we are moved. We are excited and amazed and it’s awesome! It really is hard to believe we’re here, done, in the new house. The build went by fast but now that we’re in it for real and there’s furniture to make it feel more like a home, it’s just crazy. Okay, I need to get going. I have tons of stuff to do today and there are only so many hours in the day. But I do have to wait for the freezing weather we got last night to slip away this morning so I can drive safely on the roads. You know Texas weather, wait five minutes and it will change.
It was interesting trying to decide what we should unpack first last night. Some people want kitchen done so they can cook soon, some think clothes should be first. We decided to unpack the clothes so we could get the wardrobes out of the way and Roger would have clothes for work today and late last night and this morning we figured out we probably should have unpacked bathroom stuff so we can take showers and get ready this morning. But thank goodness we packed an overnight bag for our last night at the old house. So we have just enough until I find the bathroom boxes and get them unpacked today. When you have someone else pack your stuff you have no idea what they put in each box or how they labeled it. One of the packer’s first language was not English so what she called rooms and items are not what we know them as so boxes were put in some rooms which actually should be in a different rooms. But we’ll get through it all. Remember my full time job is to unpack us. We are super happy we are moved. We are excited and amazed and it’s awesome! It really is hard to believe we’re here, done, in the new house. The build went by fast but now that we’re in it for real and there’s furniture to make it feel more like a home, it’s just crazy. Okay, I need to get going. I have tons of stuff to do today and there are only so many hours in the day. But I do have to wait for the freezing weather we got last night to slip away this morning so I can drive safely on the roads. You know Texas weather, wait five minutes and it will change.
Jan 24, 2009
It's Official
It's official, we are home owners once again. And we seriously love our new house. We have been saying it all night. Roger had to go back to work after we closed and he helped me take a load of stuff to the new house. I spent the rest of the day unloading, painting, and so many other things I can't remember. Roger joined me after work and the work continued. We got a lot done, but it doesn't feel like as much as I thought we'd get done. We stayed up too late but we're just so excited. I'm uploading pictures to Flickr right now, so they won't be done for a bit. But in a few hours you can check the link to the right and see the pictures of all the fun we had today. There won't be any funny comments since I'll be fast asleep here in about five minutes. We plan to have a bunch more fun this weekend. And we'll be posting pictures through out. We feel overwhelmed and amazed at what God has given us. It's just amazing. He is a great God and we love Him!!
Jan 22, 2009
A Wake Up
I was going to post yesterday about there being only one more day and a wake up before we close on the new house, but I forgot in all my errand running, furniture picking up and appointments. So you'll have to settle with only a wake up left before we close on the new house. That's fine with me because we are very excited closing day is almost here. We are in week fifteen of the house build. They actually finished last week so it really only took fourteen weeks to build our house. Can you believe it?! Three and a half months. It went by so fast. We had the final walk-through this morning. And there is only one issue left to be resolved and it will be fixed in the next day or two. It might be fixed this afternoon since our construction manager Derek scheduled the electrician to come this afternoon. One of the pot lights in the kitchen was wired along with the pendant lights over the island which is not correct. But it should be an easy fix. There were a few paint touch-ups and the painter showed up as we were thanking Derek and leaving. They plan to clean the floors one more time this afternoon so they will be spic and span again. But the house looks great. We LOVE it. I should have taken some pictures but I forgot. I can't wait to move. We close at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow morning and then we are home owners once again.
Also while we were at the final walk-through this morning, Roger got a call from his radiation-oncologist with his MRI results from last Tuesday. Everything looks normal and shows no changes from his last MRI. So we're good to go for another six months. We knew it would be fine. Our God is good. I'll try to take some pictures tomorrow after we close but before we start doing anything to the house. I am planning to paint a wall tomorrow afternoon so it's dry for Roger to be able to install his surround sound speakers and TV wall mount Saturday. Super Bowl Sunday is almost here. We have to make sure that's all ready. :)
Also while we were at the final walk-through this morning, Roger got a call from his radiation-oncologist with his MRI results from last Tuesday. Everything looks normal and shows no changes from his last MRI. So we're good to go for another six months. We knew it would be fine. Our God is good. I'll try to take some pictures tomorrow after we close but before we start doing anything to the house. I am planning to paint a wall tomorrow afternoon so it's dry for Roger to be able to install his surround sound speakers and TV wall mount Saturday. Super Bowl Sunday is almost here. We have to make sure that's all ready. :)
Jan 20, 2009
What A Day
What a historic day. I ended up watching all the inauguration festivities on television Tuesday even though I didn't plan on it. I don't usually turn the TV on during the day so I knew when I woke up I wouldn't remember and there would have to be something that reminded me it was inauguration day. But I awoke Tuesday morning to strange sounds and realized Roger had already turned on the TV. So even though I had a bunch of stuff to do it was really hard to not sit and watch everything. The coverage was good and we watched the Tom Brokaw commentated coverage so it was filled with history and good stories. The move estimator showed up just after Obama's speech so we didn't miss anything. That went smoothly since all he was there to do is see what we had so the packers brought everything they needed. And we got a few questions answered also. We set the DVR to record the CBS coverage because they were going longer to cover the parade since I was headed out for a swim. But since everything was already behind schedule, the DVR just missed the parade. It ended just when the first family entered the reviewing stand so we missed pretty much all of it. Oh well.
The day was beautiful and I had a great swim. I have to start training seriously again since triathlon season starts up here in a few months. And with all the walk-throughs, closings, packing and moving going on around here, I have to get in as much exercise as I can. As I finished my swim, I noticed a homeless lady I have seen before at the pool. A lot of homeless people shower there since it's a public pool. She sat at the bench right at the end of my lane and made a comment about the water temperature because her feet were so dry from wearing her boots 24 hours a day. So we started talking as I was getting out and drying off. I decided to just sit with her and listen. We talked for about thirty minutes before I started freezing because I was still soaking wet. It was about 60 degrees outside and very breezy. The water temperature was near 80 so it was really hard to get out. I enjoyed listening to her. I could tell she probably does not get to talk to people too often where they just listen. I struggle sometimes with if and when to give homeless people money. My usual philosophy is to not hand out money, but I always pray that God will tell me when and what I should do for others in need. I tried to not think about it too much while I was sitting with her and just listen to her and give her my ear. I do hope to see her again so I can build a relationship with her. Please pray for her and her husband who is having difficulty finding work.
So I would have to say it was a great day.
The day was beautiful and I had a great swim. I have to start training seriously again since triathlon season starts up here in a few months. And with all the walk-throughs, closings, packing and moving going on around here, I have to get in as much exercise as I can. As I finished my swim, I noticed a homeless lady I have seen before at the pool. A lot of homeless people shower there since it's a public pool. She sat at the bench right at the end of my lane and made a comment about the water temperature because her feet were so dry from wearing her boots 24 hours a day. So we started talking as I was getting out and drying off. I decided to just sit with her and listen. We talked for about thirty minutes before I started freezing because I was still soaking wet. It was about 60 degrees outside and very breezy. The water temperature was near 80 so it was really hard to get out. I enjoyed listening to her. I could tell she probably does not get to talk to people too often where they just listen. I struggle sometimes with if and when to give homeless people money. My usual philosophy is to not hand out money, but I always pray that God will tell me when and what I should do for others in need. I tried to not think about it too much while I was sitting with her and just listen to her and give her my ear. I do hope to see her again so I can build a relationship with her. Please pray for her and her husband who is having difficulty finding work.
So I would have to say it was a great day.
Jan 16, 2009
One More Week
We have exactly one more week before we close on the new house. We are super excited. I think we are finally done purchasing items for the new house except Roger is still researching new switches so he can control the lights with his fancy universal remote. But other than that, we are ready. The landscaping and gutters went in Tuesday. They look very nice. I forgot to take pictures when we were there for our preliminary walk through with our new construction manager Derek Wednesday morning. It went very well. There are a lot of paint and drywall touch-ups. I think he noted more stuff than we did. Glad he's looking out for our best interest. We are going to stop by the house this weekend to pick a paint color for an accent wall in the family room. Then all we have to do is wait. Our final walk through is set for Thursday morning then we close on Friday. We have just been amazed at what God has given us. We know we don't deserve any of it, but we sure do appreciate it. So praise God.
Roger had his one week follow-up appointment after his laser eye surgery with Dr. Wong today. He has some dry spots on his right cornea, the same eye Dr. Wong had difficulty with during the surgery. So he has to continue using the steroid drops for another week. But other than that, his eyes are doing great. He's loving his new eye sight.
And I have a prayer request for my dad's health. He found out this week he is anemic. He's been really tired lately, more than usual. They prescribed him medication and hopefully he will feel better soon. My mom got a little scared this week, as did the rest of us. So please lift her up to the Lord also. Thanks so much for praying for my family. I hope everyone has a great weekend since many of you are off on Monday for Martin Luther King Day.
Roger had his one week follow-up appointment after his laser eye surgery with Dr. Wong today. He has some dry spots on his right cornea, the same eye Dr. Wong had difficulty with during the surgery. So he has to continue using the steroid drops for another week. But other than that, his eyes are doing great. He's loving his new eye sight.
And I have a prayer request for my dad's health. He found out this week he is anemic. He's been really tired lately, more than usual. They prescribed him medication and hopefully he will feel better soon. My mom got a little scared this week, as did the rest of us. So please lift her up to the Lord also. Thanks so much for praying for my family. I hope everyone has a great weekend since many of you are off on Monday for Martin Luther King Day.
Jan 11, 2009
New Eyes!
Well Roger officially has new eyes. His surgery last Thursday went very well. He had the blade less lasik eye surgery which meant the corneal flap was cut by a laser instead of a metal blade. Most complications of lasik eye surgery are with the metal blade. Roger's only complication during the surgery was the laser which cut the corneal flap on his eyes did not cut completely on the right eye. So it took a little more effort for Dr. Wong to separate the flap from his eye and pull it back. The only result of that was an extra minute which felt like an eternity to Roger. It felt like forever to me also because they let me sit in on the surgery. (Yes, I took pictures and even a video of the last eye.) I was getting nervous at how long it was taking him but of course I wouldn't dare say anything during a surgery. He's an expert and knows what he's doing. I did start to feel like I was getting nauseous so I knelt down to prevent myself from falling if I passed out. I just did some slow, deep breathes and the butterflies went away. The struggle with the right eye flap only meant a little tenderness for Roger after the surgery but would not effect his vision. His left eye was a breeze to get the flap pulled back. The left eye took longer than the right with the actual laser. The right eye took about 52 seconds and the left eye took over one minute. It went by very fast over all. As soon as they were done, Dr. Wong put a low power contact lens over each eye to protect the flap.
He immediately sat Roger up and asked him to read a chart of letters. He had some difficulty at first but was able to read them and a sign Dr. Wong has on the wall that all patients read after their surgery. It reads, "I will NOT rub my eyes or squeeze my eye lids." Roger was able to read it with no problem. It is completely unbelievable that this procedure even exists. It is truly amazing that God gives man the wisdom and knowledge to figure out how to reconstruct the shape of the cornea with a laser to make it possible for people to have better vision. He was very tired after the surgery thanks to a Valium and lots of numbing drops. So he went straight home to nap as instructed by Dr. Wong with four different bottles of eye drops. He slept for about three and a half hours and felt very good after ward. He was able to watch the NCAA football championship game clearly but his eyes got tired a little bit and there were moments of blurriness. He was not as impressed with his results as he had hoped. What you see on TV is not accurate. They leave a lot out.
The next morning, after not sleeping well due to the lovely goggles he has to wear to sleep for the next four days, he felt a lot better than the evening before. He could see a little better but not super clear. They told him his vision would improve every day. I drove him to his follow-up appointment with Dr. Wong. He could have driven himself but felt more comfortable with me driving since his vision was not exact. Dr. Wong removed the contact lenses from his eyes and he could immediately see completely clear. He was so happy. He forgot the contact lenses had a little bit of power. Dr. Wong examined his eyes and tested his vision again. His vision is now 20/20. I asked Dr. Wong if Roger's vision before the surgery was in his records so we could compare as Roger couldn't remember it exactly but maybe one eye was 20/200 or something like that. Dr. Wong did not have those records with him but said they didn't have letters big enough on the wall for Roger to see before. So his vision wasn't very good before. I knew that but having the numbers to compare would be neat. Oh well, we'll just have to live with the fact he has perfect vision now.
He is really loving his new eyes. On the drive to breakfast Friday he kept commenting about what he could see. He would just start laughing for no reason. I'd look over at him and he had a huge smile across his face. I think he was just shocked. We had a great breakfast at La Reyna on South First then we headed home so he could jump in his truck and go to work. He worked a super, long day Friday putting in his eye drops every four hours. And every morning his vision is better and more clear. He said he keeps feeling like he should be taking out his contacts at night when we are getting ready for bed or washing his hands to get ready to put in his contacts in the morning. He has worn glasses since 4th grade and contacts around 5th grade so it's going to take him a while to get used to not having to do those tasks anymore. But it was a great surgery and worth every penny. Thank God for cafeteria plans and Dr. Wong. We really enjoyed him as Roger's surgeon and his staff were so nice. What a true blessing lasik is for those who have had it.
He immediately sat Roger up and asked him to read a chart of letters. He had some difficulty at first but was able to read them and a sign Dr. Wong has on the wall that all patients read after their surgery. It reads, "I will NOT rub my eyes or squeeze my eye lids." Roger was able to read it with no problem. It is completely unbelievable that this procedure even exists. It is truly amazing that God gives man the wisdom and knowledge to figure out how to reconstruct the shape of the cornea with a laser to make it possible for people to have better vision. He was very tired after the surgery thanks to a Valium and lots of numbing drops. So he went straight home to nap as instructed by Dr. Wong with four different bottles of eye drops. He slept for about three and a half hours and felt very good after ward. He was able to watch the NCAA football championship game clearly but his eyes got tired a little bit and there were moments of blurriness. He was not as impressed with his results as he had hoped. What you see on TV is not accurate. They leave a lot out.
The next morning, after not sleeping well due to the lovely goggles he has to wear to sleep for the next four days, he felt a lot better than the evening before. He could see a little better but not super clear. They told him his vision would improve every day. I drove him to his follow-up appointment with Dr. Wong. He could have driven himself but felt more comfortable with me driving since his vision was not exact. Dr. Wong removed the contact lenses from his eyes and he could immediately see completely clear. He was so happy. He forgot the contact lenses had a little bit of power. Dr. Wong examined his eyes and tested his vision again. His vision is now 20/20. I asked Dr. Wong if Roger's vision before the surgery was in his records so we could compare as Roger couldn't remember it exactly but maybe one eye was 20/200 or something like that. Dr. Wong did not have those records with him but said they didn't have letters big enough on the wall for Roger to see before. So his vision wasn't very good before. I knew that but having the numbers to compare would be neat. Oh well, we'll just have to live with the fact he has perfect vision now.
He is really loving his new eyes. On the drive to breakfast Friday he kept commenting about what he could see. He would just start laughing for no reason. I'd look over at him and he had a huge smile across his face. I think he was just shocked. We had a great breakfast at La Reyna on South First then we headed home so he could jump in his truck and go to work. He worked a super, long day Friday putting in his eye drops every four hours. And every morning his vision is better and more clear. He said he keeps feeling like he should be taking out his contacts at night when we are getting ready for bed or washing his hands to get ready to put in his contacts in the morning. He has worn glasses since 4th grade and contacts around 5th grade so it's going to take him a while to get used to not having to do those tasks anymore. But it was a great surgery and worth every penny. Thank God for cafeteria plans and Dr. Wong. We really enjoyed him as Roger's surgeon and his staff were so nice. What a true blessing lasik is for those who have had it.
Jan 6, 2009
Exciting Times
We are in the midst of very exciting times. First, Roger started his medicated eye drops today in preparation of his laser eye surgery on Thursday. He is super excited. I am excited for him also, but my excitement can not compare to his. He's been talking about how much easier life will be for him to not have to deal with glasses, contacts or eye exams and the like and being able to actually see clearly with no assistance. He can wake up in the morning and see as soon as he opens his eyes as compared to getting up and grabbing his glasses. Maybe this will speed up his getting ready time. We'll have to see about that.
Also, the appliances in the new house were installed last week. And they are awesome! Better than we expected. I guess what we ordered wasn't available any longer so we received different appliances. But it's okay because they are way better than what we ordered. The new house is getting so close to being done. They are working on their punch lists and finishing up all the details. We will have a walk through in about a week or so to give them some time to fix everything we've found to be deficient. We are so close there's only seventeen days until our closing. We can't wait! But on a sad note, we were informed yesterday our builder did another downsizing and laid off our construction manager Eric. So we are now on our third construction manager. Even though they say Austin isn't being hit as bad as the rest of the country with the economic downfall, obviously we're still being hit.
Also, the appliances in the new house were installed last week. And they are awesome! Better than we expected. I guess what we ordered wasn't available any longer so we received different appliances. But it's okay because they are way better than what we ordered. The new house is getting so close to being done. They are working on their punch lists and finishing up all the details. We will have a walk through in about a week or so to give them some time to fix everything we've found to be deficient. We are so close there's only seventeen days until our closing. We can't wait! But on a sad note, we were informed yesterday our builder did another downsizing and laid off our construction manager Eric. So we are now on our third construction manager. Even though they say Austin isn't being hit as bad as the rest of the country with the economic downfall, obviously we're still being hit.
Jan 5, 2009
A Blessing for the New Year
Lord,
As a new year begins, we come to You and ask for Your blessing.
We pray that You would give us joy to fill our days, peace to fill our hearts, and love to fill our lives. Thank You for the plans You have for us in this new year.
We wait in anticipation to see all You will do!
Thanking God for you and praying your new year is blessed in every way.
“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
*sharing this blessing with you from a Day Spring e-card received from a wonderful friend
As a new year begins, we come to You and ask for Your blessing.
We pray that You would give us joy to fill our days, peace to fill our hearts, and love to fill our lives. Thank You for the plans You have for us in this new year.
We wait in anticipation to see all You will do!
Thanking God for you and praying your new year is blessed in every way.
“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
*sharing this blessing with you from a Day Spring e-card received from a wonderful friend
Dec 26, 2008
It's Getting Close
We went by the new house today so Roger could see it since he hasn't been there in a week. I was there on Monday afternoon to meet another deck guy for an estimate. We didn't think anything had been done since I was there Monday, but we opened the front door and saw hard wood flooring. You can see pictures we took today at the Flickr link to the right. All that's left are the appliances and carpet to be installed and clean up before we walk through and point out things for them to fix. Right now the closing date is set for Friday, January 23rd. We'll probably move the next week. It's getting close.
Dec 25, 2008
Reason For The Season
Isaiah 9:6
For a child is born to us,
a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Rejoice in the peace and love of the Savior Jesus Christ! Merry Christmas!
For a child is born to us,
a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Rejoice in the peace and love of the Savior Jesus Christ! Merry Christmas!
Dec 19, 2008
Texas Winter
This is why I love living in Austin, Texas! It was 75 degrees today. It was a beautiful day and I was able to go swimming. I was talking with a guy at the pool and he said it best. He felt like he was "getting away with something" being at the pool on a bright, sun shiny day at 1 o'clock in the afternoon on a Friday in December. People were laying out. There were a couple ladies doing reverse crunches on beach towels beside the pool after they already swam laps. It was a gorgeous day. And to think late Sunday night a cold front came in and put our highs in the 30s on Monday and Tuesday. It started to warm up Wednesday. Tomorrow the high is supposed to be 80 degrees. But another cold front is coming in late Saturday night which will put us in the 30s with wind chills in the 10s and 20s on Sunday. I'm sure it will warm up again. The last few years we have spent Christmas day in shorts. I'm sure this year will be no different. As long as that cold front Saturday night holds off until Roger and I get home from my birthday dinner I'll be fine in my little, black dress.
Dec 17, 2008
Closing
Well, we did our part to close on our old house this morning. The buyer will do his part this afternoon. It feels good to have that done. Now all we have to do is wait for the new house to finish then close on it and move. Sometime around January 23rd. More and more little things are getting done every day at the new house. The water and electricity were connected this week. So we have lights and water. The plumbing fixtures have all been put in. One set has the wrong handles, but the builder has been notified and will remedy that soon. There is one light fixture and one door frame and door to be installed. The fence in the back yard was put up this week. And the travertine back splash was installed on Saturday. My mom got to see that completed when she came to visit Sunday. We gave her a grand tour of the place.
We have already made a list of items we want to get and install the weekend after we close since we probably won't be able to move over the weekend. That will give us some time to get those things done before we move in. It's a long list, but just a bunch of little stuff like replace the vanity lights in both bathrooms, replace the shower heads in both bathrooms, install cabinet knobs and drawer pulls in the kitchen, seal the tile and grout on the back splash, install cabinet and pantry organizers, add an extension to the family room ceiling fan and install a TV wall mount in the family room. It would be nice to move in and not have to still do those things while we're unpacking. I can't wait!
We have already made a list of items we want to get and install the weekend after we close since we probably won't be able to move over the weekend. That will give us some time to get those things done before we move in. It's a long list, but just a bunch of little stuff like replace the vanity lights in both bathrooms, replace the shower heads in both bathrooms, install cabinet knobs and drawer pulls in the kitchen, seal the tile and grout on the back splash, install cabinet and pantry organizers, add an extension to the family room ceiling fan and install a TV wall mount in the family room. It would be nice to move in and not have to still do those things while we're unpacking. I can't wait!
Dec 10, 2008
Tile And Countertops
It's more exciting at the new house every time I visit. You think nothing has probably been done since the last time you visited, which is about every other day for us. But then you go and you are surprised by something new. I went by Tuesday evening about 5:30 p.m. It was really too late to go because it was already dark. But Roger wanted me to go by and see if anything had been done. We assumed nothing was done since we visited on Saturday. But low and behold, the ceramic tile flooring in both bathrooms and the utility room was installed. I took some pictures with the flash so they would turn out because it was so dark I couldn't see myself. I didn't notice until I got home after uploading them and looking at the pictures with Roger when he got home that the ceramic tile around the second bathroom shower was installed. It was that dark in the house. So we wondered if the ceramic tile around the tub in the master bath was installed also. Since it was so dark inside, I didn't take a picture where we could see that.
So today I went by during the day to take better pictures and check if the tile around the garden tub was installed which it wasn't. This is when I discovered that the granite countertops were installed. I saw a truck with a few guys standing around it waiting out front of our house. I wondered what part they were working on. I said hello to them and they spoke Spanish so I couldn't ask them as I walked in because I don't know how to ask what are you working on in Spanish. So I waited to find out once I got inside. I was so excited. I try hard to contain my giddiness inside so as to not jump around like a school girl. One of these days I'm not going to be able to hold it in any more and I'm just going to blow. I took a bunch of pictures so I could show Roger. It's super dark when he leaves work so I have to take pictures for him and he waits until the weekend or a lunch break every once in a while to go by the house. I thanked the installers as I left. I can basically only greet in Spanish. I can't wait to see what's new when I go by on Friday.
So today I went by during the day to take better pictures and check if the tile around the garden tub was installed which it wasn't. This is when I discovered that the granite countertops were installed. I saw a truck with a few guys standing around it waiting out front of our house. I wondered what part they were working on. I said hello to them and they spoke Spanish so I couldn't ask them as I walked in because I don't know how to ask what are you working on in Spanish. So I waited to find out once I got inside. I was so excited. I try hard to contain my giddiness inside so as to not jump around like a school girl. One of these days I'm not going to be able to hold it in any more and I'm just going to blow. I took a bunch of pictures so I could show Roger. It's super dark when he leaves work so I have to take pictures for him and he waits until the weekend or a lunch break every once in a while to go by the house. I thanked the installers as I left. I can basically only greet in Spanish. I can't wait to see what's new when I go by on Friday.
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